This looks almost too good to be true, a plug and play Roon Wireless Endpoint. I can’t find hard evidence of it being used as such (just mentions). Anyone using this to get roon to your dac via WiFi with Roon?
Product page: B-Fi Multiroom Music Streamer — Audioengine
Darko review: Audioengine's B-Fi is a 9 wireless network streamer | Darko.Audio
Well, it is an Airplay endpoint, so presumably you could stream to it with Roon.
But for half the cost, you can get a Pi 3B+ and put RoPieee on it, and get real RAAT connectivity for your DAC.
For $88.47 you can assemble a RPi4 in a FLIRC case and install RoPieee or RoPieeeXL for free. This will connect to your DAC using USB and stream over RAAT via ethernet or WIFI.
I appreciate all the DIY Pi stuff but it is not for everyone. So what I am hearing is for any of us who do not want to assemble something or download codecs and such this is a plug and play device that will let someone to stream Roon to their dac with no Ethernet cable. If so if Airplay pretty simple or a big hurdle?
I imagine using it with Airplay is pretty simple, but using Airplay restricts things like the bit depth and sample rate in some ways. Not sure just what the restrictions are. Try searching for “Roon AirPlay” on the forum.
That does look pretty nice. Airplay is all you need for some applications/rooms. It also has DLNA for bit-perfect playback with other software. Dayton Audio has one similar for only $70. Looks like they both may use the Linkplay app.
Edit: There’s also this. They all appear to be built around Linkplay.
https://www.amazon.com/M5-Audiocast-iHeartRadio-Supporting-Supported/dp/B06WRSXVBR
Also remember you can only group airplay with airplay not with any RAAT roon end point.
I will stick with my chromecast audio pucks I think…
Interesting though…
Darko mentions 24/192 but the specs on the Audioengine website say 16/44.1.
I’ve tried Audioengine products and have a high opinion of them, but this looks like a more-expensive, less-functional Apple Airport Express surrogate.
I have used the Dayton and it works with Roon very affordable However I am leaning towards the Audio Engine BFi since their speakers are so damn good.
Hi guys. Am new to the community and to Roon. Still sorting it all out. Also a fan of Audioengine and am trying out the B-Fi streamer. I’ve been very happy with other AE products. I hope they are not being cagey about the B-Fi. So far I am happy with it. This is what AE says on this topic: “The B-Fi supports lossless playback of CD quality audio, with zero compression. While you can play higher than CD quality audio to the B-Fi through DLNA, UPnP, or high res streaming apps like TIDAL and Qobuz, all audio is transmitted at 16-bit 44.1kHz.” That last phrase, “…all audio is transmitted at 16-bit 44.1 kHz.” Well, maybe. If that’s the case, what’s the point of a hi res streamer? In my limited use, Tidal and Qobuz report their apps are streaming in hi res. Is that not true? Is wired still the only way to get the hi res signal to your player? Cheers
This has nothing to do with wired-vs-wireless. This is a limitation of the AirPlay protocol (which, despite the name, works the same over a wired connection). Apparently, Audioengine has also crippled the DLNA/UPnP interfaces (downsampling everything to 16/44.1)†. But that’s irrelevant to its use as a Roon endpoint, as Roon doesn’t support DLNA/UPnP. The only way for Roon to “talk” to the B-Fi is via Airplay.
As such, you lose most of the features that Roon’s RAAT protocol offers.
At this price-point, implementing RAAT support, and getting Roon to certify their RAAT implementation, just isn’t worth it to Audioengine.
† A strange choice, given that the DAC chip is capable of 24/192.
Thank you for the thoughtful detail, Jacques. I’m guessing you work in the industry. Every couple of years I dip a toe in the low end of the high end. If I only blow $189 on an Audioengine streamer I’m doing alright. Its a bit like buying a beer, only to be told no malt was used, and no hops, and the water lacks the second hydrogen atom on each molecule, but hey, enjoy your beer! The truth is, streaming in CD quality is really about all I ever hoped for anyway. (Now, don’t tell me I won’t be getting that either…) See you in 2025! Again, thank you. Cheers.
You’ll get CD quality and it will sound great.
You can get something that’s technically better by going the DIY route, as other have suggested. Whether the difference is audible and/or worth the trouble to you is another question.
In the meantime, enjoy …
Sorry to resurrect an old thread but has anyone tried one of these? I am trying to set up a garage system and am looking for decent sound on a budget. I do already have a Parasound Zamp and so just need some speakers and a source for Roon. I am fine with CD quality for what I am doing.